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28.5.15

A brief visit to the town of Futaba-machi, the evacuation zone within
2km of Fukushima Nuclear station, the reportage coming soon. More than
talking about political/anti-nuclear issues, I witness complex human
emotions exchange among the residents, volunteers and various
associates.
放射能汚染により帰宅困難区域になってしまった双葉町への一時帰宅・・・住民の人々、寄りそうとする人達、政治的なテーマより,人としての様々な思いが交
錯する。http://quakenewsfromelsewhere.tumblr.com/

24.5.15

The other day I was asked to comment on a new up-coming graphic novel from 4th Estate . The tile is 'MUNNU- A boy from Kashimir' by Malik Sajad, a young artist who studied Visual Art at Goldsmiths in London.I'm not a man of words, not sure how well I can write about it...

Rather closer to David B’s ‘Epilepsy’ than Marjane
Satrapi’s 'Persepolis',this story of a young boy’s account over oppressed
Kashmir during the early 90’s opened a new insight into this part of the world-
an almost completely unknown territory for me personally(I wasn’t even aware
that Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan.)

The first time I
heard the name ‘Kashmir’ was from one of the Led Zeppelin classics but that was
it. How embarrassing it was after reading this sample sent to me.

Firstly what I liked about Malik Sajad’s
artwork was that his depiction of Kashmiri people as deer and how he gave other human
characters such as Indians and Pakistanis normal human features- quite an
influence from Spiegelman’s ‘Maus’ but the tale’s feel isn’t as deadly and dark
as 'Maus' thanks to the fact that the protagonist is a small child and his innocent
dream to be an artist lifts the atmosphere, brings upbeat and easier access.

Of course there’s a strong sense of cynicism in the
scene where the main character, Munnu opts to draw AK-47 than photos of disfigured victims
from the conflict on newspaper. This scene subtly tells what an extraordinary
environment he lives in. It doesn’t mean Munnu is violent but he lives so
closely to these things- familiar no longer shocking. Kids draw the most familiar
things. Luckily in Japan they draw Manga and Anime characters instead of guns. However
it remains hopeful as his parents step in to make sure all of his children don’t
get affected or involved with the craziness going around in their daily lives.

It’s a growing up story but also a tale of
one family’s everyday in the middle of an unsolvable political destruction.

It is also quite noticeable that the artist’s
first visual influence came from woodcut printing and his father, an artisan in
this, teaches young Munnu rather reluctantly. It gives me a smile the author
doesn’t hesitate to show his influence but rather turned it into his own
strength and artistic personality. It comes to its full strength when the pages
start to tell the legend of Kashmir and how the country got established, and
subsequently invaded, ruled, and divided into in the recent history. To me these
pages give lasting impression with classic, old scroll like layouts-elaborate
but powerful.

How fascinating it is to find out what the
next chapters will talk about Kashmir and how Munnu will learn to fulfill his
dream to be an artist.

Lastly it is the power of comic books to
enable us to access easily to a difficult subject matter. It certainly gives us
some hint of how a survival can be done.

9.5.15

Renowned American online magazine, The Slate Magazine has just reviewed the US version of Just So Happens. And they also commissioned me to do illustrations for several book reviews too. Each time they review a graphic novel they ask the comic artist to illustrate for other articles - I loved this routine and very pleased to put my name among some of the big up-coming names.